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    "When we began discussing audio projects to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead back in 2012, we knew we wanted to do something completely unprecedented. We could think of nothing more exciting or ambitious than a career-spanning overview of the band's live legacy focused on what best tells the story: complete concerts. Our first criterion was the very best live music to represent any given year in the band’s history. We wanted to make sure that there were not only the tent-pole shows that fans have been demanding for decades but also ones that are slightly more under the radar, but equally excellent. For those who listen to the entire box straight through, chronologically, the narrative of the Grateful Dead's live legacy will be seen as second to none in the pantheon of music history." - David Lemieux

    We are more than pleased to announce the Grateful Dead's most ambitious release ever: 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN. Available as both an 80-disc boxed set and a custom lightning-bolt USB drive, the collection includes 30 unreleased live shows, one for each year the band was together from 1966 to 1995, along with one track from their earliest recording sessions in 1965. Packed with over 73 hours of music, both the boxed set and the USB drive will be individually numbered limited editions.

    The 80-disc boxed set is individually numbered and limited to 6,500 copies, a nod to the band’s formation in 1965. Along with the CDs, it also includes a gold-colored 7-inch vinyl single which bookends the band’s career. The A-side is “Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)” from the band’s earliest recording session in 1965 with the B-side of the last song the band ever performed together live, “Box Of Rain” recorded during their final encore at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 9, 1995.

    The box also comes with a 288-page book that features an extensive, career-spanning essay written by Nick Meriwether, who oversees the Dead archives at the University of California, Santa Cruz, along with special remembrances of the band submitted by fans. Also included is a scroll that offers a visual representation of how the band’s live repertoire has evolved through the years.

    The USB drive version* will be shaped like a gold lightning bolt with the Grateful Dead 50th anniversary logo engraved on the side. The drive includes all of the music from the collection in both FLAC (96/24) and MP3 formats and is an individually numbered limited edition of 1,000 copies. Digital version of the book also included on USB.

    Shows will NOT be sold individually on CD. This release is sure to sell out quickly so pre-order your copy today and stick around as we will be revealing a mighty fine selection of music, art, and much, much more right here.

    (Looking for a smaller 50th Anniversary commemorative keepsake? September 18th will see the release of a four-CD version of the collection titled 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN: THE DEFINITIVE LIVE STORY 1965-1995. More on that here.)

    ROLLINGSTONE.COM SONG PREMIERE AND EXCLUSIVE DAVID LEMIEUX INTERVIEW
    Head on over to Rollingstone.com for the very first listen of "Morning Dew" 9/18/87 Madison Square Garden, David Fricke's exclusive interview with archivist David Lemieux, and the reveal of 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN's '69 and '84 shows.

    *Helpful hints for using your USB:

    Running the 30 Trips Player / Reader program:
    On Windows – Navigate to the USB drive and double click the PCStart.exe file to run.
    On MacOS – Open the GD 30 Trips drive, and double click the MacStart to run.

    Viewing the digital book:
    You can either view it within the program that comes on the drive, or by opening the PDF directly.

    To view the PDF, open the PDF folder on the drive and the USB_bk_spreads_08-31 file within. Selecting the option within your PDF reading application to view as a “single page” might be preferable to viewing as a continuous document.

    Importing music into iTunes and other library programs:
    When you import the songs from the USB into your library, the information used to identify the track will likely leave them sorted incorrectly. Please use the song list found here to re-number the songs for each show so that they playback in the correct order.
    PDF
    Text

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  • outpost
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    Bolthead UK
    .... same as galvanised and gerd65. I went for this for the Hi-Res music. I've stated previously that I have every official release on CD and loads of live CD-R's, but nowadays, when I get them, I upload them to Apple Lossless, and play through my system, which can handle these files. That way I can also listen in my car, on my bike, without having to take the physical media. I have my music files backed up twice (RAID + separate SDD).Don't get me wrong, I love my box sets, and have even bought Japanese Mini-LP Replicas of the 1st album > Skullfuck for the artwork. Pride of place in my home office is my framed Live Dead album cover. As for the USB, I'm not sure if it's overwritable (I'm not going to try), but have copied the files, to convert, which is no different to ripping the CD's. Not sure if it helped, but after waiting 3 months for the USB, it took only 2 days to get to me in the UK. Previously, box sets and Dave's Picks etc. have taken around 2 weeks to get here. The packaging is small, but cool. Edit: Pretty much same setup as ziffle, but playing back using Apple Lossless rather than WAV (might try that to compare). DAC to B&W Speakers/headphones.
  • Ziffle
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    Bolt first impressions etc.
    Transcoded to WAV, on a Mac, streaming to my DAC via iTunes. Started with '81. Audio is superior, communicates the music powerfully. Crystal clear, intense musical presentation. A masterpiece. The audio played back via the built in app is not as good as a transcoded WAV copy of the FLAC file. Perhaps the built in app is using the .mp3 files. Dennis Wilmot - the physical object is a simple and beautiful gold lightening bolt case with a USB part that you remove, stored in a small presentation case. Bummer we didn't get the printed book, but as Galvinized pointed out, this is the future. If you use the bolt directly (or clone it) there is a flash app (for mac, something else for PC) that accesses everything. Efficient, simple. I will certainly save the item, but copy everything over to an HDD for playback, and perhaps print out the book for reading. Others have noted, the files aren't tagged for a batch conversion for iTunes (or similar) music player. GDM omitted the disc # tag on the FLAC files. They are divided into separate disc folders on the USB, and therefore necessary to import disc (folder) by disc (folder) and tag. Same criticism applies to the .mp3 files. A minor inconvenience, in my opinion. Everyone has their own way of organizing and tagging files. File naming is helpful, each song includes the date and venue. Easy to batch remove and convenient to have so as to avoid losing track when making custom tags.
  • gerd65
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    Joined:
    Y Bolt
    I agree with galvinized. I thought it would be much more convenient for playing on the go and in the car as well. That said, I thought then and still think now that that the bolt "box" should have included everything in the analog "box" except for the CDs themselves. Disappointing that the book was/is not being provided except as a digital pdf. While the tunes are the most important of course and I'd rather have the Hi Res files, on the bang for buck grid, I think the physical box wins.
  • Galvinized
    Joined:
    Bolt Head
    I can't speak for all who chose " The Bolt" but for myself the choice was an easy one.# 1 The files on Bolt will potentially sound better on a sound system able to reproduce the higher fidelity. This is the future of recorded music. More notes taking up less phiysical space. I can imagine this heirloom being passed down to the children of my children's kids.
  • wilfredtjones
    Joined:
    The Bolt the future?
    Boltheads prove to me that for them it's all about the music. But, I need some reassurance. Personally, I couldn't imagine dropping this kind of coin for something unless it had more there there. With substance, bigger, tangible. Something that commands your attention, says 'I'm in the house' and 'I really mean business'. The wow factor. Something I can pass on down the line as an heirloom as well. I think the box fits that bill. Don't get me wrong, the bolt looks cool, but aren't the goods strictly a metal case, some plastic and digital files? That's something pretty small, slightly understated for the same price. I can't figure it, unless it's a market testing strategy. I personally couldn't fathom going for it. That's why I didn't think twice and went for the mondo box. I suppose for some it was all they had available because the box sold out. Other people probably didn't think twice and immediately went for the mondo bolt. There are going to be people 100% satisfied, completely and utterly stoked and I am glad for them. That's how I want it to be. I want EVERYONE to be happy. I think we all do. I am just trying to wrap my head around the digital only concept. I suppose a lot of cars have USB readers now. I suppose that's the way things are heading? Digital only? Dead.net is getting with the future then. Boltheads, are you happy with the product and value? Can you see I'm confused? Can anyone recommend a good Franklin's Tower? :-)
  • Dennis
    Joined:
    Boltheads....
    .... did the usb stick come in the big box? How was the interior of the box designed to hold it. Did boltheads not get a physical book? Can anyone post a picture? I'm just curious. sidebar - If you have to bolt, will you just copy all the files to a hard drive and put the bolt on the shelf? Will you edit idtag/labels on the hard drive and then copy those to a cheap after market stick for listening? Can bolt be written over? That would suck.
  • outpost
    Joined:
    iTunes
    I'm using XLD to convert FLAC > Apple Lossless, and then directly into iTunes. Album art is in the files, and then I'm just editing the tracks to show as Sets rather than discs.Very Hi Res files avg. 3000kbps. Sound great though ..... Viola Lee from 7/3/66 playing now ! Edit: converting file copies by the way, in case you're wondering !
  • outpost
    Joined:
    hmmm.......
    I do actually recall seeing that email previously, but maybe someone posted it ..... anyhow, my shipping confirmation arrived AFTER my USB !
  • VW3323
    Default Avatar
    Joined:
    USB waiting... iTunes question
    Anxious for this baby to arrive. Would appreciate any info for downloading into iTunes. Any and all advice / issues would be appreciated.
  • Galvinized
    Joined:
    Bolt Head
    The ups guy drives around my neighborhood in a cart around Christmas. I knew it was coming today, but could wait no longer. I hopped in my van and headed him off at the pass. This is a thing beauty! Good old #449/1000 Solid, and when the USB slides out the entire 13 point Lightning Bolt remains, as the USB is removed from the lower half of the bolt. Great design Ticket: May 27, 1993 Cal Expo. Backstage pass: March 24, 1993 Chapel Hill North Carolina (Attended) "Some got six months, some got one solid"
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"When we began discussing audio projects to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead back in 2012, we knew we wanted to do something completely unprecedented. We could think of nothing more exciting or ambitious than a career-spanning overview of the band's live legacy focused on what best tells the story: complete concerts. Our first criterion was the very best live music to represent any given year in the band’s history. We wanted to make sure that there were not only the tent-pole shows that fans have been demanding for decades but also ones that are slightly more under the radar, but equally excellent. For those who listen to the entire box straight through, chronologically, the narrative of the Grateful Dead's live legacy will be seen as second to none in the pantheon of music history." - David Lemieux

We are more than pleased to announce the Grateful Dead's most ambitious release ever: 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN. Available as both an 80-disc boxed set and a custom lightning-bolt USB drive, the collection includes 30 unreleased live shows, one for each year the band was together from 1966 to 1995, along with one track from their earliest recording sessions in 1965. Packed with over 73 hours of music, both the boxed set and the USB drive will be individually numbered limited editions.

The 80-disc boxed set is individually numbered and limited to 6,500 copies, a nod to the band’s formation in 1965. Along with the CDs, it also includes a gold-colored 7-inch vinyl single which bookends the band’s career. The A-side is “Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)” from the band’s earliest recording session in 1965 with the B-side of the last song the band ever performed together live, “Box Of Rain” recorded during their final encore at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 9, 1995.

The box also comes with a 288-page book that features an extensive, career-spanning essay written by Nick Meriwether, who oversees the Dead archives at the University of California, Santa Cruz, along with special remembrances of the band submitted by fans. Also included is a scroll that offers a visual representation of how the band’s live repertoire has evolved through the years.

The USB drive version* will be shaped like a gold lightning bolt with the Grateful Dead 50th anniversary logo engraved on the side. The drive includes all of the music from the collection in both FLAC (96/24) and MP3 formats and is an individually numbered limited edition of 1,000 copies. Digital version of the book also included on USB.

Shows will NOT be sold individually on CD. This release is sure to sell out quickly so pre-order your copy today and stick around as we will be revealing a mighty fine selection of music, art, and much, much more right here.

(Looking for a smaller 50th Anniversary commemorative keepsake? September 18th will see the release of a four-CD version of the collection titled 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN: THE DEFINITIVE LIVE STORY 1965-1995. More on that here.)

ROLLINGSTONE.COM SONG PREMIERE AND EXCLUSIVE DAVID LEMIEUX INTERVIEW
Head on over to Rollingstone.com for the very first listen of "Morning Dew" 9/18/87 Madison Square Garden, David Fricke's exclusive interview with archivist David Lemieux, and the reveal of 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN's '69 and '84 shows.

*Helpful hints for using your USB:

Running the 30 Trips Player / Reader program:
On Windows – Navigate to the USB drive and double click the PCStart.exe file to run.
On MacOS – Open the GD 30 Trips drive, and double click the MacStart to run.

Viewing the digital book:
You can either view it within the program that comes on the drive, or by opening the PDF directly.

To view the PDF, open the PDF folder on the drive and the USB_bk_spreads_08-31 file within. Selecting the option within your PDF reading application to view as a “single page” might be preferable to viewing as a continuous document.

Importing music into iTunes and other library programs:
When you import the songs from the USB into your library, the information used to identify the track will likely leave them sorted incorrectly. Please use the song list found here to re-number the songs for each show so that they playback in the correct order.
PDF
Text

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13 years 4 months
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That's about what I was thinking.
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15 years 1 month
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Of course you can be a head and believe those things. They just don't make any economic sense, that's all.
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10 years 1 month
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From Relix during the internet's Triassic era: "Thanks to the computer age, there's now a way to bring [the Dead's 'traveling carnival'] right into your home. In growing numbers, Deadheads are finding that it's easy to stay in touch by calling one of the several Grateful Dead computer 'bulletin boards' that have sprouted in various parts of the country. A computer bulletin board is a place that people can 'visit' electronically to talk or get information fast. With the help of a 'modem', a computer can connect with the telephone line and dial into any other modem-equipped computer." The article further recognizes DeadHead dauntlessness even in the face of such fearsome Jetson-like technological revolution: "Computers are still freaky to many people, and one might think they'd be especially freaky to Deadheads", yet, "said Dead Board user Mark Israel, 'I don't think it's strange at all...we may enjoy some of the simple pleasures in life, but we are not simple people." Amen/K
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9 years 5 months
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What an interesting take that I never thought about before, it's Mickey's fault ;) It does stand the basic logic test of jazz based piano players were considered part of the rhythm section and the addition of a 2nd drummer would leave less space for Keith in the mix, where as syths, cheesey keyboards and organ would occupy a different spot in a 2 drummer line up. things to listen for in the future. Billy's new book has also given me lots to listen for and highly recommended for his point of view from the drummers seat on the mood/drug consumption of the periods. Jerry seems to be one of the few junkies that could still play well far longer than most of the people around him and even though it became a problem, they let it continue as the money became everyone's drug of choice at the end. meanwhile Weather Report suite from 9/12/73 SBD just shuffled on and Keith is sounding great, too bad theres a bunch of horns soloing where Jerry should be playing and it sounds like a flock of waterfowl having an orgy.
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Rdevil - Can you clarify what is meant by "Keith going through Jerry's briefcase may have been his biggest sin"??? Do you mean he was actually busted rifling through his stuff/stealing Jerry's stash, or was that just a euphemism for "he was doing the same, err…, recreational stuff as Jerry and it had a very negative effect"? I do recall a story from one book where someone had stolen Jerry's stash from his briefcase and he started VERY indiscreetly confronting people "Who took my bindle!" Maybe these stories are related (though probably not - made me think of it though…) I'm mildly uncomfortable that this is getting into unsavory gossip, but I'm hitting "send" anyway...
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15 years 10 months
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I always liked this show, but Keith is a non-factor and he really blows it toward the end of Good Lovin'-- when the rest of the band stops at one point, Keith hits a big chord. That is one of the worst obvious errors I have heard in all my GD listening, way worse than any vocal flubs they regularly made. Re: Beware Mr. Baker and the Clapton comment, in the movie they talk about Ginger's style a lot and that he was really a jazz drummer thrust into a rock and roll band. Clapton's comment, I think he was more appalled by the comparison to Bonham, you can hear him say, "no, no, Zep..." and then he catches himself before being caught on camera bashing LZ. Ginger could swing, hit 'em hard and provide some world beats, too. I like Keith Moon a lot and find his drumming amazing in his prime. This documentary gave me a better appreciation of Ginger Baker's talents-- in spite of the fact that he is absolutely insane.
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"But I think some of the reason he began to decline is the band's '78 swerve into louder, fuzzier, raunchier tones and electric rock 'n roll (vs the ragtime band). When Keith joined in 1971 it was a 1-drummer band and by '73 they were playing light, loose and ragtime/jazzy. But suddenly in '78 they were in full beast mode and a piano doesn't really fit into a raging 2-drummer band easily - must have been frustrating for him." Excellent post, Thin. I never articulated this correctly, and I think you are right. Since we were talking about the "non-factor" issue (and I'd never actually noticed anything BAD before, like the 12/31/78 bad chord), I decided to check out a couple songs from the famous 5/8/77 gig. After all, we all know that show, right? I dialed up Estimated Prophet in the car, and listened for what Keith was doing. Now, granted, I'm cruising down the road in 93-degree Florida heat, so the AC is cranked to the max, but let me just say: during the first 3 minutes or so that I road-tested that song, I did not hear Keith...at all. I could hear everybody else: Phil, Jerry, Bobby, Mickey & Billy. I skipped ahead to Morning Dew, and I heard a little bit of tinkling piano during the first few minutes...nothing bad, but nothing remarkable. Sounded low in the mix, too...very low. Maybe they really did turn his volume down overall? No idea. For contrast, I listened to a Yes show from the same basic era, '78. Rick Wakeman on keyboards. Now, it's not a fair comparison, I know: different band, different style. But I'll tell you what: those keyboards were prominent, I mean PROMINENT, in the mix. All over the place. So maybe it wasn't just drugs, passivity, or whatnot. Maybe he really was mixed intentionally low by the latter years of the Godchauxs' tenure.
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Unfortunately, when I think of Keith's later playing, I invariably think of the Cornell Fire. His blocky repetitive chords are just a sin, and almost ruin this amazing song for me. Give me his early stuff any day, the man was fantastic!
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There's some good insight into some of the music that influenced Jerry and some of the directions he wanted to explore or did not in the following March '78 JGB interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya2Vv1zcGmY It gives some background on the edgier, harder feel the music took on at that time. There's an interesting piece about new wave and punk that starts about 29 min in. Very interesting stuff.. if you had the same conversation say in '72 or '73, Its very likely names like Django Reinhardt, Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis and the like might just pop up. At one point Garcia states, "I like Cheap Trick." A musical Omnivore he was.. 35 min in he speaks highly of the Who and Townsend but says its a drag to do the same show '4 years in a row. Change and reinvention is a part of the golden thread this tapestry is woven from. Anyway, more food for thought. The only thing constant in this world is change.

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10 years 6 months
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I came up with a rather new twist. Listening to an entire show sometimes just isn't possible, so what I've done is to select one disc from a set and create a mix up. Yesterday I started with some 73 and jumped to 90 then back to 72, etc. kinda works with the 50th concept. I have SO much Dead now, I might be able to only enjoy 1 complete show in a day and that would take a while to go thru all of it. So this approach is in play. I'm also rotating in terms of sets too. First sets and then Second.It gives me a broad palate to draw from and lots of years to combine into one big groove for the day. I've read were some folks wouldn't try this, but it's working in the summer heat so far! Enjoy yourselves!
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Thanks for that link @frankparry. Can't say I'm impressed with the design of the 4-CD box, but I'll bet the 80-disc box will be awesome. And what a monster it'll have to be. Just look at 80 CD's in your collection and see how much space they take up! I'm betting there will be a cardboard slipcase for each show. Or maybe it'll be in the style of a book. It looks like that's what they went for with the 4-disc set. If that's the case, it may be hard for folks to sell off single shows as we've seen on this board and on eBay. Besides which, I think the idea of breaking up the box defeats the vision that Dave had: i.e. taking in the 30-year journey that was the life of the Grateful Dead. So if you're someone who loves the 70's Dead, this may be an opportunity to have some later era music in your collection. And if you're an 80's/90's lover, then this is the chance to go back a bit further. My story is this: I started listening to the Grateful Dead with the album "Without A Net," so Brent has always sounded great to me. I never did get to see Brent, though. I saw the Dead 4 times -- 3 in '91 and once in '93. I was at the 2 MSG shows before the 9/10/91 show in the box. Then I stopped listening for years. It wasn't until my son was born 3-1/2 years ago that I started listening again. Man, I was HOOKED! I tracked down every Road Trips and Bonus Disc over the next year, and then started in on the Dave's Picks and newer box sets as they came out. Despite my expanding collection, I was still pretty stuck in the late 80's and early 90's. But I slowly worked my way backwards. '77 and '74 offered ample rewards for my listening, but earlier than that was a little too much for me. Kinda raw at times. And Pigpen took some getting used to. So it took me a while to get into '72 and all that the European tour has going for it. Now I can dig it. On the other side of the Dead's career, I shied away from post '91 stuff. Without Hornsby, what magic did the band still have up their sleeves? Then I pulled out th '93 Cal Expo Road Trips this year. I've gotta tell you, it's good. Way better than I thought it should be. So when I first saw this box set, I thought, "Way too expensive," and "Too much stuff that I don't want." But the more I thought about it, the more excited I became to hear those shows from years I had shied away from - pre '72 and post '91. I think the box will be an amazing opportunity to experience the full scope of what the Grateful Dead's music was. Thanks for reading. Reach out your hand If your cup is empty If your cup is full May it be again
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11 years 4 months
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Pretty awesome radio show.
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16 years 8 months
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very much like individual cases for each show in any box - so can carry one or two shows on a trip in the car etc.
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15 years 9 months
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For those of you still looking for the Newsweek Special Edition Grateful Dead 50th, I found it today at my local Walmart (Rt 1 N in Saugus MA). There's a bunch of copies left. Was totally surprised. It was my "Last Chance Texaco" before seeking it out on Amazon. So if you're in the Boston area, they have them there. Listening to the second sample of this boxset now - wish there were more supporting videos describing why these shows made the cut...
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I have to laugh when I hear you dilettantes substantiate "the decline" of Keith Godchaux with a bad chord on one song from 12/31/78, and from shows in 77 when he was low in the mix. So, first of all I'll start with the second laugh first. Nobody anywhere has ever said he "declined" in '77 - the comments were about his '78 playing. So now you gossip monkeys are adding years on to an already invisible claim. 1) If he's low in the mix, he's low in the mix - these are two track recordings - most of the live Dead library you can't even hear Bob Weir; 2) his playing style was phased out by the time they were doing songs like Fire On The Mountain and Estimated Prophet - read my essay on two drummers in the DaP 14 section a couple of weeks to understand how Mickey Hart's return changed the palette Keith had to work on. Being phased out stylistically and suffering a decline in skills are two different things. Dilettantes. 12/31/78 - What about Big River? What about I Need A Miracle? One bad chord? A f#@king beer probably fell on the piano. Peace. Donna - forgive them, for they understand not what they say.
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13 years 3 months
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"I can't do anything about it" Really Dave? Among many solutions: you could go inside. Come on, man...
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Hey Thin, it took me awhile to find it, but the briefcase story I was referring to is on page 293 of Blair Jackson's Garcia: An American Life. I did not remember that the story about Garcia busting Keith going through his briefcase was told by John Kahn. According to Kahn, Keith "was gone from the JGB right after that." The story has stayed with me but only now does it occur to me that this is a secondhand story told by a guy with drug issues of his own. It's hard to say how accurate this is but Jackson did include it in the book. Maybe the story you were thinking of, Thin, was after a concert when Jerry received a death threat (early 80s). That one is in Rock Skully's book. Apparently Jerry was yelling things like, "Who stole my stash!" in front of promoters after the show. Anyway, my apologies to anyone offended by me bringing up gossip. I'm fascinated with the Keith and Donna story, in part I think, because there's so little written about them. There really weren't any books written about the band until the 80s (correct me if I'm wrong) so most of what we know about the Godcauxs are stories told from some very hazy memories. There's also no interview with them in the Grateful Dead Movie. Speaking of that, thanks JiminMD for the link to that '78 interview. It was great to hear Donna there.
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Heaven forbid anyone should have an opinion that differs from your holier-than-thou say. Keep your condescension to yourself. You're not the only one with a brain. EDIT: I come across no better than you. Sorry. Can we discuss without judgment? I'll try harder.

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10 years 6 months
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No gossip just truth.A friend of mine goes up to visit his folks in Canada, and as he is leaving he tosses me a key and says, Hey if you need a buzz and your out, drop by my place and take care of yourself. Totally out of character for my friend who is always the last to cough up a J at a party or whatever. Days go by. So I'm out and I go over and help myself, and knowing me I figure what the hell I will just take this home and buy him a fresh supply when he gets home. When I remove the goodies I accidentally pull a plant from the top of his fridge. There was a long leaf hanging down. Anyway the damn plant jumps off the fridge at me like a rabid pit Bull! Lucky I didn't get hit in the face from the stupid plant. In the process a little dirt gets spilled. Of course I clean up the dirt from the floor and get the plant all happy again returning it to its perch. Now my friend keeps his in an empty ice cream container. Anybody remember Fruzen Gladje? Anyway... He gets home after a month and calls me up to come over which I do. As I walk in he goes over to the fridge and before I can say Boo, he opens the fridges freezer door. Well I guess I didn't clean up as well as I thought cause the next thing I hear is There's Earth in my Fucking Freezer! Who stole my stash? I don't know why but I cracked up like a watermelon dropped from the 47th floor! I'm howling at his choice of verbage. As he looks at me with the gaze of a Manson Family member, I toss him a fresh full supply! At once all is well and cool! It was a totally funny as hell moment. When I see him even after 35 years, you can be assured at least once I love blurting out There's Earth in my Freezer!! Oh the goofy years of youth Rock on good people and Enjoy.
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66 thru 69 GD is the true grit of acid rock. For sure the work they did onwards was fine, but to me the creativity of those 4 years of acid daze earns them a chapter in the the Gospel of Rock!
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12 years 3 months
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Listening to Stranger from Augusta '84, pretty hot! I've had this show in one form or another for 25 years, and always loved it. It's no '73 or '77, but none too shabby!
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Folks, I give you the biggest dilettante of us all, from the 2012 Golden Road Blog... Blair Jackson: http://www.dead.net/features/blair-jackson/blairs-golden-road-blog-keit… Makes me want to explore the January/Feb '79 shows more. The comments after are interesting too - hey Cosmic Badger, did you ever listen to that show you were going to check out? What did you think? PS - One of the best things about the release of Boxzilla is that it's bringing back folks like Kate, Cosmic, Palmer....
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12 years 3 months
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Spectrum! WAY under the radar! Check this one out!
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17 years 4 months
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Less then 1500 to go. So with sales of 5000 in just over two weeks I think it is safe to say they will sell out before 9/18. Rock on
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9 years 4 months
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Just a comment on sales rates. Looking at the numbers posted, the sales run rate has dropped to 30 or so per day. Even so, the box will more than likely sell out. Approx numbers (as reported by other folks) Day 1/2 : 4000 in 2 days Day 3 : 300 in 1 day Days 4 to 9 : 100 per day Days 10 to 15 : 30 per day I bought one on day 3. I've also been a GD lover since 1969 Aoxomoxoa (but not a die hard enthusiast). The Dead are my favourites but all I've ever bought are LPs from the 60s and 70s as well as the 2 box sets (Golden Road & Beyond Description). I couldn't miss the chance to get this 30 trips box as a last chance live momento. Curious that I would have missed this if I hadn't just seen the Bob Weir feature on Netflix !
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12 years
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6/18/74 Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY - Best "Eyes of the World" Everybody ready for that "Barton Hall, 5/8/77" announcement next week?
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17 years 5 months
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Wow, listen to that Other One Suite. Beg borrow or steal to get this box friends.
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14 years 9 months
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whoever mentioned the Ginger Baker movie. I watched it on youtube yesterday morning and enjoyed it a lot. whoever mentioned 1/8/79: I just had my face melted off by Big River.
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17 years
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There are a number of shows where Keith does just hammer repeatedly I'll come across them again at one point and post up which ones. The most prominent that I can remember from the collection is a Fire where he sounds identical to the sound you hear when a car has the keys left in the ignition and the doors open, honestly it has the same timing too....just ding...ding...ding over and over. While he probably nodded off for a minute and was playing by reflex it is annoying. I would also say that I agree with the comment that his fluidity goes from plinkling fast runs to a more staccato sound that does not suit him, his talents or his grand piano. Though Hornsby is a master of staccato textures and uses them very engagingly in the band. I almost wonder if Keith was just frustrated by the band's comments and his playing is a passive aggressive response to the comments. I also remember a book where Jerry mentions that the band wanted new and varying keyboard tones and textures because of all the new technology coming out as far as synths, pedals and electronic components go. But that Keith was absolutely against expanding his tone palette or attempting to bring in new colors almost to the point of confrontation. Not so much his playing though I have heard that before but more his insistence on familiarity and lack of desire to attempt a full band progression in a new direction of their tonal palette.
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14 years 9 months
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the grate debate is now best Eyes. someone mentioned 6/18/74. 2/9/73 is the best version ever. another pitch for Sleep's Dopesmoker. and computer world by Kraftwerk. Santa Clara is next weekend. any attendees getting excited?
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17 years
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Not everyone is on here 24/7 some of us have lives and only join you and the conversation when our busy schedules allow. And if you wanna talk "now" go over to the 50th chat room not the box set chat of past shows, which are not now but "then."
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17 years
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Wtf does that mean?!
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14 years 9 months
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seems like i came across like a douchebag to you. just putting some thoughts out there. I ain't going to SC. just asking. what's really bothering you, bro? put down the red whiskey.
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12 years 11 months
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Enough about Keith vs Brent....IMHO you cant even hear Keith's piano playing except for the Europe '72 shows at all. In 1977 you can kinda hear him plunking stoned chord patterns out on what sounds like one of those electric high school pianos form the 1970s. IMHO Brent is far and away the better of the two, he brought back life & enthusiasm to the band, had an incredible mix of keys/piano/B-3 Organ sounds, and frankly gave the band back the wonderful harmonizing they had missed since about 1972. With that said, who has some educated guesses at what DP#15 will be. I don't think it will be from pre-1978. His last 6 picks have had : 2-from 1972, 2-from 1974, a 1977, and a 1969. It's obviously time for some 1980s releases from this series. I am predicting DP#15 will be from 1981 or 1984...BRING IT!
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15 years 9 months
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Hope you're right, lot of predictions for a July '84 show, some say the 14th, I'd go with the 13th, duh, Dark Star encore, Scarlet-> Touch-> Fire, no-brainer! Knowing how this series has been since its inception though, safe to predict something in the '69-'77 time frame. Dave's picks aren't all that adventurous. No complaints here, I love it all. But I'd sure like more from those criminally underrepresented years. Not that I want to scroll past months of whining from those who think the band should have stopped progressing and become a heritage nostalgia act from '75 on...

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10 years 6 months
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I go for the fire extinguisher like in Animal House!
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15 years 1 month
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And me alone? Or are there other people out there who are just no-way no-how gonna click on any of the "listening party" links? I gotta wait! I mean, I WANT to listen!!! But... I just gotta wait, man.
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15 years 1 month
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First saw the Dead in concert in 1972, my last show was in 1994. Every show I saw through 1982 was great. Period. Early Brent shows were rockin. He definitely kicked them into a higher gear. After 1982 I can't honestly say the shows I saw were all that great but that didn't seem like Brent's fault as much as just burn out. I really didn't like Brent's songs or singing and as the years progressed those became more prominent in the repertoire. That didn't help. Last show I saw (94) was awful and heartbreaking. Can't blame that on Brent. Agree with whoever said 66-69 is really the big bang holy grail of the Grateful Dead. Birth of Acid Rock. My personal listening preference is 71-74. For whatever it's worth. Peace out.
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17 years 3 months
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direwulf, at the risk of becoming the next target, I think you may have mis-read Stoltzfus's comment. Someone mentioned 6/18/74 as the best Eyes, and Stoltz jokingly suggested that the debate was now about that, rather than Brent v. Keith. He wasn't saying we all have to do it right now. And about that Eyes - I tend to prefer 74 versions (10/19!), but I can never get enough of the inverted Eyes on 6/9/76 (RT 4.5). Almost ten minutes of jamming *before* they get to the singing... including hints of the "Stronger Than Dirt-esque" jam that had been the coda in 73-74, but Bobby, at around 4:30, turns it into a totally unique theme, as he did a lot in '76. Around 8 minutes in they seem to get a bit lost - "wait, did we already play Eyes?" when Phil kicks them into gear with an impatient and gorgeous explosion of his bass at around 8:27. For those of you who don't have Road Trips 4.5, there is a nice sounding copy on the Archive: https://archive.org/details/gd76-06-09.set2-sbd.gardner.5426.sbeok.shnf
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11 years 4 months
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Did the group only do Seastones in 1974? My face has been melting with the one from Alexandria Theatre in the UK, and now from Philadelphia in August of 74. Is it me, or is this a precursor to Space?
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11 years 4 months
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I listened for a few seconds, and stopped immediately because I want to hear these shows in Sept. I have a few of the shows on the set, but to hear them mastered will definitely be something else.
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17 years 5 months
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Listened to this show today - a combination of the Road Trips and a Miller. I've been into this show for 35 years - I don't use best, but it's one of the very few finest from '74, or any year. Happy 50th anniversary to Phil - he played his first gig with the Warlocks. I got an if clause coming ... What would Keith have sounded like had he been in the chair for the Warfield/MSG shows from '80? I love reckoning and Brent plays splendidly - no "dis-ing" goin' on here; just curious.
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13 years 4 months
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I used to listen..but not for a few years. I like to get the virgin listen when the mailman comes. Someone on this thread stated they don't even look as setlists anymore before listening to shows. I can't say I adhere to this, but when I do I am often pleasantly surprised. I have been listening to Spring '90 straight through this month, the show for today's bike ride was 3/28 Nassau and it was a treat listening to that first version of The Weight blind (well, second if you count the 1970 version w/ the New Riders). What a great show and what a great crowd reaction. oh.. that 6/18 Eyes>China Doll is spectacular. One of my first high quality boots and I played the living shit out of that all those years ago.
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15 years 1 month
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Not sure how would have done in the 80s. Lets' see...The Warfield/RCMH were done with the goal of realeasing live albums, and at the time they were going for a more formatted show, with less in between songs jamming. There was an interview in summer of 1980 in either Time or Newsweek where they mention the new direction. They were definitely going in a more commercial direction. Sadly(IMO, of course...)the formatting of the shows stayed on and the long, unpredictable trip ended. From that point on, there was 1st set songs, 2nd set pre-drum songs, drum space, post-drum songs, etc., with some rare exceptions.
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17 years 5 months
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In addition to 6/18/74 (and some Beaux Arts Trio Haydn this AM), I've had a Blue Note afternoon - stuff that'll make you forget about your laundry. Elmo Hope "Trio & Quintet" 6/18/53 Stanley Turrentine "Look Out!" 6/18/60 Horace Parlan "Up & Down" 6/18/61 Don Wilkerson "Complete B.N." 6/18/62 Hank Mobley "Dippin'" 6/18/65 - Phil's 1st show Salud.
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10 years 7 months
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I realize this post isn't on the proper board, but whatever. I was just checking upcoming tour dates for NRPS. Guess what...they are playing in Chicago the weekend of July 4 (July 3-5, if I recall). Is this simply a coincidence, or are there plans for a good old 1970-like acoustic set at the farewell shows? Who knows, but it's curious none-the-less.
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10 years 1 month
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After a 12hour day at work, that began in the pool at 0530 and encompassed a 2hour flex period mid-afternoon to accommodate a ridiculous run in 92F heat with absurd humidity, your post has officially 'made my night'! And to be mentioned amongst such august company from The (legendary) Eleven thread. Through a cloud of vampirous deer flies (I'm down a pint of B-positive)and enough sweat to swim in, I was propelled by the profound, absolute, utter, categorical, and nearly incomprehensible perfection of 2/26. Seriously. Second only to 9/18 - which, I might add, is also a component of one of the single greatest (pending) releases in recorded musical history (right there with the Furtwangler "Legacy" box, E72, ABB FE '71 complete, and the 45th edition of VU's eponymous album) - that show generated more discussion and contemporaneous listening/editorializing on this site than any competitor. Well, 10/29 held fair sway back in the day, too...peace/K
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